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Pankaj J Parikh,Corporate IT Manager, The Zandu Pharmaceutical Works Ltd.

TITLE: Corporate IT Manager

COMPANY: The Zandu Pharmaceutical Works Ltd.

INDUSTRY VERTICLE: Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

AGE: 55 Years

FIRST JOB: Bank of India

TOTAL EXPERIENCE: Five Years in the Bank of India (Non IT) , 29 Years at Zandu Pharmaceutical as the IT in-charge

BIGGEST CAREER INFLUENCE: DEC, IBM and SAP have provided better insight as far as the IT industry is concerned. The types of hardware, software and applications that they have created and kept developing have prompted me to remain abreast in the fields that they have excelled.

THE PERSON WHO INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST: Dr K M Parikh, Late MD Of Zandu Pharmaceutical who brought me from Bank of India to IT at Zandu

BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN YOUR INDUSTRY: Rapid development and keeping track of the same to incorporate it in my organization, decision making with respect to the selection and deployment of the same in the organization and dealing with the users who may not be Tech Savvy.

HOW TO TACKLE THIS CHALLENGE: Constantly updating my knowledge with respect to recent developments in the industry through magazines, conferences and networking. Understanding them and mapping them to requirements in the organization. The apex management's confidence and support has to be gathered to implement any solutions.

UPCOMING TECHNOLOGY DECISION FOR YOUR COMPANY: Upgrading SAP to ECC 6, Video Conferencing, IP camera based surveillance and portal development, which can be accessed by distributors, suppliers and relevant community for the information that they require.

YOUR SUCCESS MANTRA: Think positively, plan and execute.

TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN’t LIVE WITHOUT: Internet.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING THE MOST: Reading newspapers, industry magazines and solving puzzles.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: First meeting with my wife…. (LOL)

FAVOURIE MOVIE: My Fair Lady

FAVOURITE BOOK: Ver Na Valamana (Gujarati), Mahabharata (Particularly the Bhagvad Gita)

YOUR OBSESSION: Chess, table tennis and watching live sports

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR: Deploying enterprise solutions and proper infrastructure to support the same.

ONE THING YOU WANT TO CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF: Time management. Except getting up early in the morning (5:30 am), I have no rigid schedule for food intake and sleeping.

ONE THING YOU WOULD NEVER WANT TO CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF: Getting up early in the morning.

BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED AND FROM WHOM: The late Dr K M Parikh advised me in 1979 (Even the PC was not born then) that, "It will be a decade of computers after 10 years from now and you have the talent to establish your and your younger brother's careers in the industry."

A PIECE OF ADVICE TO FELLOW CIOs: Problem solving is endless as an opportunity. Keep providing cost-effective solutions. Deploy the technology not just for the sake of technology but usefulness in the organizations. Develop learning skills and educate others for the same.